COMMUNITIES

PROGRAMS

INDUSTRY

COMPANY

Garcetti: LA City Agencies Must Get on Board with Open Data Initiative

LA Mayor directs city agencies to publish all data publicly via the city's open data portal.

by Rick Orlov, McClatchy News Service
/
December 19, 2013

Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti issued an executive directive on Wednesday to have all city agencies take part in a new Open Data Initiative and make public all the information collected by them in the course of a year.

Garcetti, who just left for an Australian vacation with his family, said he hopes to have the data available on a new city website that tracks City Hall services such as police response times and updates on street closures and roadway sweeping.

All city departments, including Airports, Harbor, Water and Power, Recreation and Parks, Library and the pension systems are mandated to take part.

"This empowers Angelenos to participate in their government with greater understanding and impact and promotes a culture of data sharing and cooperation among city departments," he said.

"I look forward to launching L.A.'s Open Data portal in early 2014 to promote transparency in government and give Angelenos a new way to help solve our toughest challenges."

Included in the directive are instructions to the Information Technology Agency to work with the mayor's office in collecting the data to be put on the website, while examining issues of confidentiality and security.

"Opening government data to entrepreneurs and businesses promotes innovation by putting that information to work in ways outside the expertise of government institutions and gives companies, individuals and nonprofit organizations the opportunity to leverage one of government's greatest assets: public information," he said.

"It fosters creative new thinking about solving our most intractable challenges through public-private partnerships and promoting a culture of data sharing."

In keeping with Garcetti's mission to be the full-disclosure mayor, before leaving on his 10-day holiday break, he put up a citizen survey -- saying it's his New Year's resolution to solve municipal issues -- asking three questions: What needs the most improvement in your neighborhood; do you know how to contact City Hall; and by what method do you prefer to reach City Hall? To weigh in, visit www.lamayor.org/resolution.